VP of Engineering, Applications

About the Role

A1 is building a proactive AI system that carries work forward across conversations, tools, and time.

As VP of Engineering - Applications, you will turn intelligence into a real product. You are responsible for the engineering systems, teams, and execution that turn ML capability into reliable, fast, and intuitive user experiences across backend, mobile, and desktop platforms.

This role is a senior engineering leader who stays close to the product, makes hard technical decisions, and holds a high bar for quality and delivery.

What You'll be Doing

• Own the application engineering strategy and execution across backend, mobile, and desktop.
• Lead and grow a small, senior applications team, including backend, mobile, and desktop engineers.
• Set the architectural direction for AI-powered product workflows, APIs, and client integrations.
• Ensure AI capabilities are integrated into the product with clear abstractions, predictable behavior, and graceful failure modes.
• Partner closely with Machine Learning leadership to translate model capability into shippable product features.
• Make high-impact decisions across latency, cost, reliability, security, and user experience.
• Establish a strong execution culture through code reviews, design reviews, and hands-on technical leadership.
• Ensure production readiness: observability, monitoring, retries, fallbacks, privacy, and cost controls.
• Balance speed and discipline – shipping quickly without compromising long-term system quality.

What You Will Need

• Significant experience leading application or product engineering for complex systems.
• Strong hands-on background building and shipping backend systems used in production.
• Experience delivering AI-powered products, with a deep understanding of model integration trade-offs.
• Excellent system design skills across services, APIs, clients, and data flows.
• Comfort operating across platforms (backend, mobile, desktop), even if your depth is in one.
• Proven ability to make high-impact technical decisions under ambiguity.
• A strong bias toward shipping, iteration, and learning from real-world usage.
• Low ego, strong judgment, and the ability to raise the technical bar for the entire applications organization.

Compensation Range

$350K – $555K

How We Work

Our organization is very flat and our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering and product excellence. All members are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission.

Interview process

If there appears to be a fit, we'll reach to schedule 3, but no more than 4 interviews.

Applications are evaluated by our technical team members. Interviews will be conducted via virtual meetings and/or onsite.

We value transparency and efficiency, so expect a prompt decision. If you've demonstrated the exceptional skills and mindset we're looking for, we'll extend an offer to join us. This isn't just a job offer; it's an invitation to be part of a team that's bringing AI to have practical benefits to billions globally.